Brexit leading to UK labor shortage, says survey

According to a new survey, the effects of Brexit are forcing non-U.K. nationals exit Britain, provoking fears of labor shortage.

Several sectors of the UK economy which are heavily dependent on EU nationals are starting to experience labor shortage, with research indicating that the crush could be down to fewer EU workers seeking jobs in Britain due to last year’s Brexit vote.

According to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Adecco Group, with the total count of job vacancies ranging to 748,000, UK bosses are finding it difficult to hire the correct candidate due to the worker shortage.

The survey further revealed that almost half of all the vacancies are centered in the retail and wholesale, food service, health and accommodation and manufacturing industries.

It has been found out that, almost three-in-ten employers told that non-U.K. nationals from the European Union considered exiting their group in the six months to December 2016.

John L. Marshall, chief executive of The Adecco Group argued that the fallout of Brexit were now starting to take hold.

He further added, the report reveals that businesses are struggling to match the right vacancies with the precise candidates, with labor and skills scarcities caused by a drop in the amount of EU nationals.

The count of non-UK nationals working in the U.K. surged by 221,000 to 2.26 million in the 12 months to September, but post-Brexit, the last quarter highlighted an increase of just 30,000.

Last month, campaigners have pressed Prime Minister Theresa May to end the uncertainty distressing millions of EU citizens living in the U.K. by ensuring their right to remain in the country once the Brexit procedures get fully implemented.

Ms. May has set a deadline fixed for the end of March to initiate renegotiating Britain’s position in Europe.

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